For most of you that know me, you probably already know my opinion on the flu shot. However, it is not my opinion that will help you make the decision on whether you or your children should get the flu shot this season. So I will do my best at putting my biased opinion aside and provide you with some informative facts to help you with your decision to roll up your sleeve this season or not.
How does the flu shot, or all vaccines for that matter work anyway? Vaccines work by creating antibodies. Our amazing immune systems have the ability to build army’s that attack specific viruses or diseases. These army’s however, can only be created once the body has had exposure to that particular disease or virus. Healthy people with strong immune systems are often able to do this, build antibodies against a virus before the symptoms get too severe and in the end be forever immune to that virus. However, for many of us, we do not have the time to build enough antibodies before the virus becomes too severe and this can be dangerous for many. The amazing thing is that the virus that the body is exposed to does not even have to be living in order for the immune system to build antibodies. That is how vaccines work. They contain inactivated viruses in which enables the body to create antibodies, protecting you if you come in contact with that virus again – and all without ever getting sick. Pretty amazing.
But what else does the flu shot contain? I am so glad you asked;) Unfortunately, this is where the ‘amazing’ gets a little scary. One of the main ingredients in the influenza vaccine is Thimerosal, a preservative that contains mercury. I don’t have to emphasize much about the dangers of mercury. It is a well-known fact that the body cannot dispose itself of mercury and the nervous system and brain are usually the systems/organs most greatly harmed by this toxic heavy metal. Yes, there may be the same amount of mercury in that can if tuna you ate for lunch, however that mercury was not injected directly into your bloodstream! The flu shot often contains aluminum; another dangerous heavy metal that is linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Next are eggs. Eggs are what carry the inactivated virus in the vaccine. Not too scary unless you are allergic to eggs which therefore makes that vaccine ineffective. Then there is the sucrose, which is used to concentrate and purify the virus, however sucrose, also known as sugar, is known to lower ones production of antibodies. Gentamycin, an antibiotic shown to cause deafness is also found in your flu shot. Other antibiotics found in the flu shot are Neomycin and Streptomycin, which can often be the cause of allergic reactions following the flu shot. Oxtocinol - a detergent used as a spermatocide (kills sperm) is also found in the vaccine as well as Polyethylene glycol. Now, just to clarify, this is not the same as Ethylene glycol – the main ingredient in antifreeze although many anti-vaccinationists claim it to be. However, Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is still a toxin that has been greatly associated with cancers, especially leukemia. And although you won’t find this ingredient in antifreeze, you will find it in your oven cleaner. Then there’s Formaldehyde; yes the same kind they use to embalm dead bodies. Formaldehyde, a well-known carcinogen is used as a preservative in the vaccine. This information was not found on the Health Canada website however. I searched the Health Canada website and nowhere could I find a detailed list of ingredients.
Effectiveness of the flu shot is also questionable. Because the influenza virus changes each season, vaccine manufacturers actually do not know which strain will be circulating. That is why the flu shot contains strains from 3 different inactivated viruses in hopes that one if the strains will be the one that is infecting people that season. Really though, it is somewhat of a guessing game and this is why many people still get infected with the influenza virus even after getting the shot. Actually, according to Sherri Tenpenny D.O (http://drtenpenny.com/the_truth_about_the_flu_Shot.aspx) a study that included 66,000 adults, the vaccination reduced their risk of influenza by only 6% and showed no change in the number of sick days taken or the number of people that were hospitalized. Another study showed no difference between the vaccination and the placebo for infants between the ages of 6-24 months. In children over 2 years old, the vaccine helped to prevent the flu in 33% of cases.
This is a tough call, especially for parents. For someone with a compromised immune system the flu shot may be helpful. The only thing is if it doesn’t work, your immune system is now even more compromised from the ingredients in the flu shot. Many people that are pro-vaccines emphasize that although many of the ingredients are toxic, dosages are safe. This may be true but the accumulation of several different vaccines and/or those who choose to get the flu shot every flu season are not accounted for. Ultimately, you have to go with what you feel is right. Either way though, it will always benefit to help boost your immune system naturally in case you do get sick. After all, the flu shot doesn’t protect against colds or pneumonia. There are many easy ways to boost the immune system naturally and if you check back here in a few days I will tell you how!
In the meantime, I found this funny YouTube video for your enjoyment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWfCnjnShnM
References: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/health/article_366.shtml
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howthingswork/a/aa011604a.htm
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